Huang Jiu transformed into a streak of sword light and swept across the sky, doggedly pursuing a glazed meteor...
The immortal was dead, and Big Black had left!
All that remained were the fragments of the immortal's glazed body, scattering beneath the vault of heaven...
Joy lit Huang Jiu's face. "Heh heh, once I get that biggest fragment, I can lay a Golden Core foundation for that little brat in the village, giving him a straight road to the upper three realms... then he won't be useless anymore."
Two figures shot into the sky from halfway up the mountain-two Qi Refiners of the upper three realms! They, too, were heading straight for the largest fragment of the immortal's glazed body.
Huang Jiu frowned... In the past, the court's Attendants and the Four Great Immortal Sects had stood together throughout Great Jin, suppressing and slaughtering the rebel cultivators of Two-World Mountain and those skulking practitioners of unorthodox paths until they vanished without a trace. Now that he had such a perfect chance to act without restraint, why should he keep swallowing his anger?
Huang Jiu sneered and casually flicked out that whip-like streak of sword light...
The two cultivators hurriedly dodged aside. One shouted, "This is the territory of the Mysterious Womb Gate, a subordinate sect of the Liu Clan of Mount Zhlin! What mighty dragon from across the river dares provoke Mount Zhilin?"
Huang Jiu's heart leaped with delight at those words. He could not even be bothered to waste his breath. Abandoning the glazed-body fragment, he flew straight toward them...
The supple whip suddenly became a three-foot sword. Huang Jiu gently released three fingers, and the sword tore through the air, slashing straight at the leading Daoist, who wore a tall crown and a Nine-Dragon Daoist Robe!
Halos of light instantly blossomed from the Nine-Dragon Daoist Robe. The Daoist raised his horsetail whisk and concentrated on resisting the sword light, while the other Daoist summoned a copper-coin spell sword, sending it flying toward Huang Jiu in a streak of golden light.
Huang Jiu froze for a moment and murmured, "Well, well, a Three Talents Spell Sword and a Nine-Dragon Robe... how many years has it been since I last dealt with this gutter trash? Brings back memories..."
Huang Jiu swept his sleeve, shattering the copper-coin spell sword in midair... Copper coins scattered across the sky, and Huang Jiu smiled faintly. "Let me tell you who's killing you! I'm Huang Jiu, the Sword Cultivator!"
The robed Daoist's head rang at the name, but the young Daoist beside him glared fiercely. "What wilderness cultivator are you? You even dare give your name? Die..."
With that, the young Daoist propelled the scattered copper coins into a furious barrage of hidden weapons, actually attempting to kill Huang Jiu in midair!
Huang Jiu raised his hand and caught a Gilt Copper Coin the Daoist had refined... "Tsk, tsk. I haven't dealt with you lot in decades. Who knew these mountain sects that threw in their lot with the Immortal Sects had become so rich?"
Entangled in a streak of sword light, the robed Daoist could only pour all his strength into the radiance of his robe, desperately holding on. Just as he was about to speak, Huang Jiu vanished from the sky...
An exquisitely fine streak of sword light flashed past. The young Daoist stood blankly on the Daoist Saber carrying him through the air, then a thin trail of blood trickled from a tiny hole in his forehead.
The Daoist Saber slipped out of control, its spiritual energy dissipating as it fell with the young Daoist's corpse. The robed Daoist was nearly crushed into a ball beneath the sword light. He wailed, "Spare me, Yellow Sword Immortal... spare me!"
Huang Jiu drew back the finger he had used to kill the other Daoist and narrowed his eyes. "Since you know my name, you ought to know what I hate most in this life... people calling me a sword immortal!"
"Ah? I know my mistake..."
Huang Jiu still held three fingers in a Sword Art gesture. A trace of murderous intent flashed in his eyes. "Too late!"
Countless streaks of sword light crisscrossed in an explosive barrage. The patch of sky around the robed Daoist seemed to fill with dense sword light, becoming a blazing sun of Sword Qi...
The Nine-Dragon Daoist Robe was instantly pierced into shreds of thread, and the Daoist within vanished without so much as a bone left behind... body and soul annihilated!
Having drunk its fill of cultivator blood, the sword flew back to Huang Jiu and hovered quietly in the air.
Huang Jiu reached out and took the sword, murmuring softly, "You've had to put up with a lot... don't worry. Once we get back, I'll have that damned cripple retemper and repair you."
Huang Jiu transformed the flying sword into a cord of sword light and wound it around his wrist again. Then he glanced in the direction the glazed golden-body fragment had flown and resumed his pursuit...
A dense black cloud, like a vast black mountain, swept across the sky and plunged toward Two-World Mountain, crashing straight into a three-colored curtain of light that towered between heaven and earth above it!
A deep, agonized howl rang out, and an enormous claw, as thick as half a tall tower, savagely slashed at the curtain of light!
The curtain trembled, then a massive breach shattered open in it. The black cloud dispersed... and everything returned to its former state.
Inside the imperial palace in Great Jin's Capital City, the Prince of Linhe frowned as he gazed south toward Two-World Mountain. Behind him, a somewhat stooped man in yellow robes sat on a low couch...
Prince Sima Xiu, standing beside the man, cast a sidelong glance at his imperial father, then hastily lowered his eyes to his nose and his nose toward his heart, standing utterly still.
The emperor of Great Jin coughed and asked softly, "Elder brother, have you a plan?"
The Prince of Linhe turned and bowed his head. "Your Majesty, everything remains within our expectations!"
The emperor frowned. "The realm is beset by calamities. The fault is mine..."
"Your Majesty, Great Jin is merely a mortal dynasty. You need only fulfill your duties and ease the Upper Realm's burdens. A True Immortal from the Upper Realm will surely descend to handle this!"
The emperor studied the Prince of Linhe's expression, then nodded. "Then issue the decree... mobilize the elite armies of the eastern and western Guardian Offices, together with the accompanying cultivators and the mountain sects serving the court. Advance along the left, center, and right simultaneously to suppress the Six Southern Borderlands Commanderies and the Nine Southeastern Commanderies... recapture the two Guardian Cities and restore the immortals' Restraining Formations. Also request that the Four Great Immortal Sects dispatch their armies to surround Two-World Mountain directly... I shall go to the Ascension Platform at once to beg the Upper Realm's forgiveness..."
Prince Sima Xiu raised his head and said softly, "Imperial Father, the spiritual energy on the Ascension Platform is oppressive. With your cultivation damaged, I fear you might..."
The emperor of Great Jin shook his head. "Your crown prince brother had too little fortune. With Great Jin now lacking a crown prince, I, the emperor, can only go beg forgiveness myself... don't speak out of turn. Observe more, think more, and speak less... understand? You may leave..."
"I understand, Father."
Sima Xiu bowed, lowered his head, and quietly withdrew.
The emperor of Great Jin lightly glanced at the eunuchs and imperial guards outside the hall. Seeing this, the Prince of Linhe gave a slight nod.
Sima Qiuzhen, emperor of Great Jin, sighed. "Elder brother, why did this affair cause such a tremendous upheaval? If the Upper Realm holds us accountable, how should we respond?"
The Prince of Linhe looked up at the emperor's careworn face and bowed. "Your Majesty... the fall of a True Immortal is indeed a grave matter. My original intention was merely to watch those restless cultivators and Martial Warriors below the mountains cause some trouble for the Four Great Immortal Sects! I never expected this sudden upheaval at Two-World Mountain. I fear someone from the Wild Spirit Land intervened... otherwise, those half-dead people at Two-World Mountain alone could never have disrupted the great formation and allowed that being to act..."
"Alas, let us speak no more of this... this time, offer fifty percent more treasures from the imperial privy treasury! Hopefully that will appease the Upper Realm's wrath. An immortal has been slain, and the enemy is a fiend from the Wild Spirit Land, against whom Great Jin is powerless... elder brother, represent us in discussions with the Four Great Immortal Sects on how to handle this."
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. It is my duty. Your Majesty, allow me to accompany you to the Ascension Platform?"
The emperor of Great Jin nodded. "Fortunately, I have you, elder brother. Otherwise, the spiritual energy and astral winds on the Ascension Platform would indeed be more than I could bear..."
"You are too kind, Your Majesty..."
Prince Sima Xiu quietly left the emperor's study, the Nourishing-Heart Studio, then turned back to look at it...
The sun sank in the west. Beneath the evening glow, the Nourishing-Heart Studio seemed somewhat desolate.
The dry, cold winds of spring still ravaged the Central Plains. Not a hint of green appeared on the withered trees and broken branches. Compared with the lofty Ascension Platform and grand hall in the distance, the Nourishing-Heart Studio looked rather shabby.
A procession of eunuchs approached from the distant rear palace, carrying a sedan chair fitted with insulating curtains.
Sima Xiu looked at a young eunuch hurrying over. The eunuch immediately bowed. "Does Your Third Highness have any instructions?"
Sima Xiu asked, "Has Consort Jie come to visit Imperial Father?"
"Your Highness, indeed she has! Her Ladyship heard that His Majesty's excessive worries had impaired his health, and immediately brought a furnace's worth of superior pills to visit him..."
"With Consort Jie caring for Imperial Father, we can all rest easy! Sorry for the trouble, young eunuch, but please convey my thanks to Her Ladyship..."
"You are too kind, Your Highness. I shall certainly convey your words faithfully to Her Ladyship!"
Sima Xiu reached out and pinched the young eunuch's sleeve. A horseshoe-shaped gold ingot slipped unnoticed inside it.
The young eunuch looked up with a smile, bowed, and retreated a few steps, then scurried off to announce the arrival outside the Nourishing-Heart Studio...
Sima Xiu quietly watched the luxurious sedan chair drawing closer, then lowered his head and walked swiftly away.
Two Realms Village...
Lü Bufan squatted at the village entrance, gazing pleadingly at Old Skeleton.
Old Skeleton cursed, "Why the hell are you staring at me? How would I know when Big Black's coming back?"
"I know you're this in Two Realms Village..."
Lü Bufan raised his thumb, then continued, "Why don't you take a stroll outside and bring Master, the others, and Big Black back?"
Old Skeleton spat. "Get lost! They went out looking for death themselves. What the hell does that have to do with me?"
"I'll buy you a drink..."
Old Skeleton glanced at Lü Bufan and reached out to grab the air... a jar of fine wine, giving off a rich aroma, appeared out of nowhere in his hand!
"Well? Impressive, isn't it? Do I need you currying favor?"
Lü Bufan froze. "So you really are an immortal!"
Old Skeleton took a swig. "Immortal, my ass! It's all bullshit! Boy... if Two Realms Village hides deep in the mountains, you won't be able to leave anytime soon. The mortal dynasty, the Immortal Sects, and the immortals of the Upper Realm will press us step by step, hound us relentlessly, and seal off Two-World Mountain... do you want to leave?"
Lü Bufan shook his head. "No!"
Old Skeleton sat up and glared at him. "You don't want to go to the Wild Spirit Land, and you don't want to leave Two-World Mountain! What, are you planning to retire here in Two Realms Village?"
"I still have to look after my master and the others!"
"Those bastards need you looking after them? Back then, I just didn't want him dragging a useless good-for-nothing like you down with him..."
Lü Bufan chuckled. "You said it yourself, I'm useless! However I live, it's still a lifetime, isn't it? Staying in Two Realms Village and taking good care of Master isn't bad either..."
Old Skeleton suddenly studied Lü Bufan closely. "Hmph, I can see the truth in your heart... you really don't want to leave Two Realms Village. What... have you seen enough suffering in the mortal world below the mountains? Already thinking of fleeing the world and hiding in the mountains at your age?"
Lü Bufan thought for a moment. "A little, but not all that much... mainly, there's no one left below the mountains for me to worry about... Liuzi went to the Immortal Herb Sect, and Simen Baihua promised to look after him for me. Lian'er went to the Wild Spirit Land... I heard her master is also a powerful Ninth Realm Great Cultivator! Lian'er's future will be boundless too..."
Old Skeleton took a swig of wine. "What's that got to do with you?"
"It does! I care about them. If they're doing well, I don't have to worry."
Old Skeleton chuckled. "Them? If the Immortal Herb Sect values your friend Liuzi, he must be good cultivation material too... if things go smoothly for them, or rather, if nothing goes wrong, they'll likely advance in their cultivation at the Immortal Herb Sect and Azurefall Lake... eventually becoming Great Cultivators! Their lifespans will grow a dozenfold, even dozens of times over... what about you? You have no talent whatsoever, and your foundation is rotten. You might never reach the middle five realms in your entire life... do they need you worrying about them?"
Lü Bufan shook his head. "That has nothing to do with it. Whether they need it is their business. Whether I want to is mine!"
"Boy... you couldn't inherit a single one of Mingxin, Huang Jiu, or Du Yuan's best sword techniques, formations, Daoist arts, or martial scriptures! Have you ever resented Heaven?"
"No! It has nothing to do with Heaven."
"Really?"
"Really..."
"Mm, then I can rest easy..."
"..."